Of course, there's more than a dollop of irony involved when an ex Bolton man complains of getting a raw deal under Allardyce at West Ham, but the Portuguese enigma may be the exception that proves the rule. Two things set him apart from the typical Bolton player of course: he is skilful and he is lazy.
Now we all know that Allardyce demands 100% effort from everybody he selects, which is why Diarra is likely to be on the first available cross channel ferry, and so his relationship with RVT was always likely to be strained despite their previous association. But as Vaz Te says, the stats suggest that he has done an effective enough job whilst at West Ham.
But strangely, the West Ham fans seem to be as cool on him as his manager. In truth, of course, although we have always prided ourselves as the Academy of Football, like Allardyce, we have always valued highly a player who gives 100% when out on the pitch. Billy Bonds, Geoff Pike, Mark Noble, Paul Goddard, Martin Allen, Julian Dicks, Alvin Martin, Paul Konchesky, Steve Lomas, etcetera all won a fan club based around commitment and passion at least as much as skill. And, of course, Vaz Te looks as passionate and committed as the Liberal Democrat rank and file are to Nick Clegg.
But have we put too much emphasis on body language and paid to little attention to the end product? Remember, we are in the Prem thanks to a Vaz Te goal against Blackpool! It now looks odds on he will leave, but I, for one, will be sorry to see him go.
Well said and very true!
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand
ReplyDeletewe need a striker.
Carroll is not 100% reliable fitness wise, but good when he plays
and according to Sam we need to trim the wages bill a bit to get one in.
And like many a good player he can be moved on if the time is right
I'll be sorry to see him go but when you look at the players we've got he's never going to be a first team regular.A good squad player coming off the bench but obviously wants more.Can see him doing alright at a team like Palace who apparently are keen on him.
ReplyDeleteno
ReplyDeleteI think anyone with half a brain appreciates Vaz for what he did to help us get out of the Championship. But despite stats, and all that, its clear he hasn't got it as far as the prem is concerned consistently, and if we were sat here with three decent strikers, we could afford for him to do the buiss when he felt like it. But needs must, as they say.
ReplyDeleteQuestion fanny: obscene and / or racist comments, overt sexual references, obscene words and physical threats.
ReplyDeleteWhy only this blog and not other West Ham sites?
No
ReplyDeleteAnony-mouse says,
ReplyDeleteHi HF. Do you remember the little catch-ups you and me used to have about Vaz? :)
I've been a huge fan since he arrived. Having been a solid yet predictable side before his arrival his signing was the catalyst for the team becoming more dynamic, more fluid, more cohesive and more dangerous.
Then last season stats show that when he was in the team we gained something like three times as many points per game as when he wasn't. That's not a fluke and yet people still don't appreciate what he gives us.
He is one of those players who somehow add more to the team than they should if you know what I mean- let's put it down to a footballing chemistry thing.
I can only think that they must have someone very special lined up in order to contemplate letting Vaz go. Even so, I'll be sad to see him leave, but this squad is getting better window by window. I guess we're not used to willingly letting good players go. We may have to get used to it in the knowledge that even better ones are coming in.
Average championship player...can't believe we still pay him a wage , cannot pass a ball 10 yards. Go please.
ReplyDeletevaz te is a left forward, a very one footed player with limitations, his game is drifting infield and shooting with his right foot, now move him out of position and he is forced to go down the line and try a cross with his wrong foot or cut back and play a pass and he isn't the best passer of the ball, big sam took away his entire game when they moved him to accommodate jarvis, despite this and only playing 18 games he got a lot more assists and goals than jarvis in the premiership! do you remember when vaz te scored the winner in the playoff final and everyone were over doing it celebrating on the pitch lapping up the glory and vaz was in the locker room by himself sorting his boots out, I feel sorry for the guy, nobody understands him, he is not a flash, cocky, lazy player. he is a nice guy that has been treated awfully and now his position is available and maiga keeps getting the nod!! vaz te actually scored 4 or 5 headers so could do a decent job upfront, and he can take a free kick aswel! last season we lost only 4 of the 18 games vaz te played in arsenal twice, man city and Chelsea, the other 14 we went unbeaten, he is on peanuts, we signed him from Barnsley, he is the best option we have upfront at the moment whilst carroll is injured and we will get a small fee, whoever he signs for will get a bargain and don't be surprised if it is palace and he gets double figures from the left, a position we never gave him a chance to play in with us in the premiership
ReplyDeletetaylor, maiga, linda, henderson, diarra and collision should all be sold before vaz te....in that order. all on higher wages apart from henderson, selling vaz te is a major mistake
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with Daz. Should be playing through the middle for us at present.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I think you'll all remember it was Carlton Cole who got us up at Wembley - scored one, laid one on a plate for Vaz. Second, given Vaz Te's appalling lack of commitment on the pitch, the refusal to run back, the giving up of any 40-60 ball, even 50-50 chances,the generally wayward shooting ( yes he can thump it - but usually high and wide)- he's a Championship player and still one who needs a firecracker up his backside - lazy doesnt cover it - good riddance
ReplyDeleteHi Daz, completely agree, Vaz Te is actually a clever player, playing out of position, he is excellent defensively aswell as being pretty useful offensively, i lost count last season of teh amount of times I saw him intercept opposition passes and run the ball into their half, even if the end product wasn't the quality it should have been in terms of a pass it nevertheless released pressure and obviously sometimes that would transpire into us getting results. I will be sad to see him go also and I think this is a result of the new rules and having to ship players out, whatever happens I thank him and wish him luck in the future.
ReplyDeleteHope you are right Anony-mouse. My, until now, unspoken fear is that Diame may go for big money before the window closes with new Financial rules used as a bogus excuse. Hope to God I am wrong.
ReplyDeleteGood to see some making case for RVT!
I would play Vaz Te rather than Maiga, mainly because he can control the ball, and pass it, rather than throw a bit of your body toward the ball and hope it goes to one of our players, as Maiga does.
ReplyDelete